Girls in STEM: Is It a Female Role-Model Thing?

Abstract

Women are underrepresented in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) careers, and this poses new challenges at the dawn of the era of digital transformation. The goal of the present study is to demonstrate how female role models influence girls' preferences for STEM studies. This paper evaluates a role-model intervention in which female volunteers working in STEM go into schools to talk to girls about their careers. The study was conducted with 304 girls, from 12 years old (sixth primary grade) to 16 years old (fourth secondary grade), both before and after the role-model sessions. An adaptation of the expectancy-value theory of achievement motivation is used to test the extent to which this role-model intervention improves girls' beliefs that they can be successful in STEM fields and increases their likelihood of choosing a STEM career. The results of multigroup structural equation modeling analysis show that on average, the role-model intervention has a positive and significant effect on mathematics enjoyment, importance attached to math, expectations of success in math, and girls' aspirations in STEM, and a negative effect on gender stereotypes. Additionally, the female role-model sessions significantly increase the positive impact of expectations of success on STEM choices. Finally, the moderation role of the counterstereotypical content of the role-model sessions is tested. The results show that the higher the counterstereotypical character of the sessions, the higher the relationship between expectations of success in math and the choice of STEM. These results are discussed regarding their implications for long-term STEM engagement.

Maximizing the impact of exposure to scientific role models: Testing an intervention to increase science identity among adolescent girls

“…The present findings raise questions about the underlying mechanism that explains the pre‐post increase in science identity. One possibility is that participating in fun, interactive science workshops and/or exposure to female science role models alone (e.g., Delisle et al., 2009; González‐Pérez et al., 2020) are sufficient to increase science identity. However, it is important to note that past research on the benefits of participating in science outreach with female role models for girls' interest in science has been equivocal (e.g., Liben & Coyle, 2014).…”

“…In the future, we plan to measure intrinsic motivation for participants to examine how participation in science outreach and female role models affect girls who are relatively low and high in intrinsic motivation. Another method to examine whether the results of the present study would generalize beyond girls who attend science outreach events on Saturdays would be to move science outreach programs into schools so that they are more easily accessible to a wider population of students (e.g., González‐Pérez et al., 2020). Indeed, our STEM outreach partner recently began a program in which scientist role models offer hands‐on science enrichment workshops at local schools.…”

“…A review of the causes of gender disparities in STEM points to a number of factors including stereotypes of STEM fields, negative stereotypes about women's science abilities, and a lack of relatable female role models (Cheryan et al., 2017). Although pervasive stereotypes in society can be difficult to change, research has demonstrated that role models may play an important role in inspiring young women and girls to pursue STEM careers (Dasgupta, 2011; Dennehy & Dasgupta, 2017; González‐Pérez et al., 2020; Liben & Coyle, 2014; Marx & Roman, 2002; Olsson & Martiny, 2018; Plant et al., 2009). In the present study, we tested an intervention to increase science identity among early adolescent girls attending a science outreach event by encouraging them to identify with female role models.…”

“…To date, research on how female role models affect adolescent girls’ interest in science is somewhat limited. Nonetheless, there is some evidence suggesting that role models may have the potential to inspire girls’ interest in science (González‐Pérez et al., 2020; Olsson & Martiny, 2018). For example, ninth‐grade girls who were exposed to female role models developed more positive attitudes toward STEM careers as compared to girls who were not exposed to female role models (Evans et al., 1995).…”

Is ambition a gendered issue? Students´ vs employees´ antecedents of Ambition about Leadership

“…According to status, students are called to participate in educational programs of gender equality careers. Following recent role-model interventions which evidence positive be-nefits on girls' aspirations in STEM (González-Pérez et al, 2020), educational centers are encouraged to implement strategies to promote ambition on female students in order to reach leadership positions as future workers. Similarly, the family should promote values of gender equality in aspirations of young women because of the opportunity of incorporating skills, traits and experiences into their social roles (Sáinz & Müller, 2018).…”